Well it was great leaving the cold wet weather of London behind. The lunch at Gordon Ramsey`s restaurant in terminal 5 was very good. It was similar in quality to the meal on Saturday night when we had a night out.
As is usual the take off was delayed by over half an hour but the flight took the same length of time but a following wind meant that we arrived on time . I sat next to a lady who trained as a Doctor in London and in the late 70`s tried out the USA for a job as A&E was getting difficult. She has worked in Philadelphia and then married a university professor who teaches IT. He then got a job as head of dept. in Tucson and she had her children and then went back to work researching into infant birth problems with the trialling of drugs especially cerebral palsy children. So despite the long 10 hours and 40 minutes flight this passed some of the time. The film selection included Johnny English Returns –very funny, J Edgar Hoover -boring, New Years Eve – quaint , funny.
, Once we arrived we got a shuttle to the hotel for the night and we were shattered as we had been up nearly 20 hours.
Monday was a warm day over 75 degrees and we made a slow journey to the airport to pick up the Focus and then down the I10 to Tucson. One small detour on the way and when coming back out of the complex I turned the wrong way and 10 miles later had to swallow my pride and ask directions. The people at the municipal airport were very helpful as I was only 5 miles out of my way. The use of google maps and Zip codes then threw us out as we landed on an unmade up road. Still my able map reader got me there regardless of the printout that I had with me. Good old maps rather than directions. The evening meal was in a type of Cattle shed restaurant and the steak was very good.
We went down the the RV site on Tuesday morning to see our friends It was good to see them again. They took us out to the Titan Missile silo in the desert. This made the cold war seem real and frightening as to what could have happened. Climbing down 30 feet into the silo and the computer suite, computers were so big then in the 60`s.
Lunch was in the Indian land Casino and very American in style.
Wednesday took us to the Kartchner Caverns found in 1977 and is a living cave and we all had to be sprayed with mist before entering. Not much light inside but very large caverns and fantastic stalactites and stalagmites. The evening meal was in an Italian restaurant and all sauces had cheese so St Louis Ribs for me, with a juicy fruity barbecue sauce .It was a cooler day but we were high up still sunny but the cave was warmer than the outside weather. 75 degrees inside the cave.
Thursday meant the journey northwards to the higher land in the north of Arizona. Sunny but the temperatures are settling around the 60 high. Quite tired this evening must be the concentration !
Friday was a hot day in the sun. Just the wind down day for us to laze in the sun around the pool which over looks the golf course. Rough areas are yellow and the fairway and greens lusciously dark green.
Saturday morning we were greeted with the first signs of a cold. Lynda has the sore throat and I the cough. So off to the pharmacy for cough medicine. Lets hope it works. Also compulsory cut offs shopping which was hugely successful with a large range of colours in Lynda`s size. The whiskey was also purchased and some fish for 4 meals a version of catfish from Asia. After lunch it was round the pool for two hours of soaking up the sunshine and finishing off a Clive Cussler novel. Even went into the hot-tub,
Sunday despite your comments we got up at 07-30am as there was a talk about the local area with breakfast thrown in and tour companies giving us a flavour of what is available. Jeep tours especially and no good to us because of our backs. Still won a tee shirt in the draw. The rest of the day led to a Timeshare talk and they gave up on us as non purchasers and we opted for a first class cabin on the Verde Valley Railway tour next Friday. Then it was time to Skype my sister and brother in law and they were ab;e to see the local terrain via the web -cam. Then an afternoon around the pool, there has not been many people there at the most 5 other people when we are there. In the hot tub again. Pool too wet!!!
Our next visit on Monday morning was up a steeply climbing road into the Mingus Range of Mountains over 6000 feet high. We entered the Black Mountain region around a town called Jerome. This is an old mining town from the 1850`s. The mines were initially for copper but have ventured into Zinc, Gold and Silver until all mining closed down in 1953. Quite a chequered history with brothels, bars, Chinese quarter and buildings slipping down the mountain side. The town jail slipped over 250 feet. Its population was at its heights in the 1920`s but now it is somewhere nearer to 300. Hippies and Goffs are all over the place but no young ones all 45+ years of age. A lovely hot day and a mansion visit also. The Douglas family had a cousin who was Winston Churchill’s mother. Then back to the poolside for a read and sun soak.
Need a rest as it is Tuesday, so morning shopping and two hours of watercolour painting coaching. Quite relaxing as Lynda did the washing. Then together round the pool in the glorious sunshine. It seems like Lynda`s chesty-ness is the local allergy coming to the fore. Several people have it and there are many ways to deal with it. Lynda`s is to ignore it.
Sedona beckoned on Wednesday a lovely day once again. It is a busy town at the intersection of two roads. The scenery is stunning I have never seen such beautiful formations of red rock curtaining and surrounding the town in the valley plain. We went up to the airport and this is just high enough to see all of the formations in their splendour. Not into hiking so just a road trip.
Thursday we went to Prescott following the lower road but to drive back to our base we went over the 89A called an historic route , basically the one taken by the early settlers and explorers. It went over the mountains up to 7000 feet and we saw snow in between the trees. Occasionally the right hand side of the road had a metal barrier but more often there was no barrier. So scary at times and my knuckles went very white. Even taking photos was an effort as there was no barrier between parking and the drop onto the road below. So not many snaps taken.
Friday was the day of the train ride along Verde canyon. Quite a wilderness area following an old mining route to join up with the state freight lines between Williams and Phoenix. Spectacular sandstone cliffs a winding stream and even people camping beside the river. We were in a first class carriage with arm chairs and some nibbles thrown in and champers to start the journey. There was an outside cabin for photography and plenty of information from the attendants. A long trip over 4 hours long. Stunningly hot and plenty of fluids were needed to be consumed.
We travelled over the I40 to Winslow Arizona as in the Eagles song standing on the corner etc. Then onto the Petrified National Forest and the Stunning painted desert. The logs or trees were laying on the ground all made of stone and their internals were often crystals of all colours. The trails had been set out beautifully in three places . I was astounded at the fossils and the colours of the rocks on the route. It was a 30 mile route and only cost $10 per car. The painted desert was set out over several miles with cliffs near to the roadside and then stretching out with gorgeous colours varying as the distance added to the hue of the colours in view.
The I40 was straight and very windy we even saw a lorry overturned. The snow was on Mt Francisco above Flagstaff when we passed it initially but on the way back it was shrouded in clouds. This was a promise of things to come.
Sunday was the wake up call as the snow had arrived and was thinly veiling the mountain tops over 5000 feet and on the lower ground around 3500 feet a smattering of thin snow which kept disappearing and returning all day long with rain and hail interspersed. It was however not too cold.
So just some shopping and reading all day.
Monday the snow had returned and early morning was visible covering the cars and the trees. It soon melted again.
Tuesday was a warm day wow.
